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Grand Turk has a reputation as one of the more laid-back beach spots in the Caribbean, but as part of the Turks and Caicos, the island also is one of the region's prime destinations for underwater adventure. With several shallow, healthy coral reefs, Grand Turk is a place where snorkelers can see almost as much sea life and have just as much fun as scuba divers.

Items you will need

Mask

Fins

Snorkel

Snorkel vest (optional)

Wetsuit (optional)

T-shirt and/or waterproof sunblock

Step 1

Visit a scuba center or beach shop if you did not bring a snorkeling kit, consisting of a mask, fins and snorkel, with you. All scuba centers on Grand Turk have snorkeling equipment available for rent. Most, but not all, beach shops will have snorkeling gear for rent and/or for sale.

Step 2

Swim out from a local beach and explore the offshore waters. Governor's Beach, Pillory Beach, and White Sands Beach are especially noted for their snorkeling, and your hotel probably is on or near one of them. Once you have explored one beach, travel around the island by rental car, taxi or bicycle and explore others.

Step 3

Book a trip on a snorkel tour or on a scuba diving boat to visit the coral reef and other destinations, such as the stingrays at Gibbs Cay. Operators like Oasis Divers (oasisdivers.com) offer snorkeling-only trips, but most scuba centers on Grand Turk take snorkelers on their boats at a reduced rate.

Tips

If you are not a strong swimmer, you add a snorkel vest (an inflatable vest designed especially for snorkeling) to your kit.

If you want a little more than what snorkeling has to offer, try snuba. This involves breathing underwater at the end of a hose connected to air tanks on the surface, and, like snorkeling, it requires no training.

In summer, the surface water temperature at Grand Turk reaches the mid-80s Fahrenheit, and even in winter it rarely drops below the mid-70s. For the most part, a snorkeler only needs a thin wetsuit, and even then mostly to protect against jellyfish.

Warning

Snorkeling means spending long periods of time swimming with the back of your neck, shoulders and upper back exposed to the sun. Even if you wear a T-shirt and have long hair, the back of your neck probably will remain exposed, since the T-shirt won't cover it and your hair is probably bound up to keep it our of your range of vision. Grand Turk has strong, tropical sunlight, so use waterproof sunblock on every snorkeling trip.